Chapter Three: Tea Eggs
"Jiajia, come and try it, how does it taste?" Yiling said. The lunchbox kept the food warm, and the golden cake was still piping hot.
Still slightly warm, it possessed a distinct softness and elasticity. Xu Jiajia took a bite, and upon touching the golden cake with her teeth, she tasted its soft, chewy texture—soft yet resilient, but not difficult to chew. The coconut aroma spread across her tongue, and after being baked, the surface was slightly charred, leaving a lingering sweetness with a hint of caramel.
Xu Jiajia felt her taste buds had been elevated. Golden cakes are available everywhere, even in supermarkets. But making them this delicious requires considerable skill.
"Yiling, did you buy this from Zhang Ji?" Zhang Ji is a famous teahouse in this area, a century-old brand, and very popular with locals in Yuncheng. Their golden cake is renowned for its deliciousness and is considered their signature dish.
Xu Jiajia had eaten it once a long time ago and had never forgotten it. Today, she tasted it again and felt that Zhang Ji's chef's skills had improved by leaps and bounds. This golden cake was a perfect score in her heart! Tears welled up in Xu Jiajia's eyes. How could there be something so delicious!
She lives just to eat such delicious food!
Yi Ling tried a piece and was amazed by the taste. She shook her head, "This isn't Zhang's; it's made by my neighbor."
Xu Jiajia wasn't exaggerating at all; Yi Ling also thought this golden cake was even better than Zhang Ji's!
"Yiling, where did you buy this? It smells so good!"
"I really want to eat it too, the smell makes me hungry!"
"It looks so delicious..."
When Yi Ling looked up, she found everyone gathered around her, their eyes glued to the golden cake. It was all because the shark fin pattern on the golden cake was so beautiful.
“This wasn’t bought; my neighbor made it,” Yi Ling said.
Upon hearing this, everyone felt a surge of emotion and tears welled up in their eyes!
Such delicious food, and they can't even buy it! They'll regret it for the rest of their lives! It's such a pity they'll never have the chance to taste this delicious golden cake again.
Yi Ling looked at everyone's expectant, pitiful, and regretful eyes, and she was reminded of the revolutionary camaraderie among her classmates. If they had an orange, they would break it into several pieces so that everyone could have a taste. She would also share her delicious food with everyone.
Under everyone's eager gaze, Yiling transformed into an angel and said something very touching, "It's still warm, why don't you each cut a little and try it!"
Golden cake tastes best when it's fresh out of the oven. Otherwise, once it cools down, the tapioca starch will give it a unique gelatinous texture, greatly diminishing its flavor.
Everyone was so moved that tears streamed down their faces.
Nearly ten people each received a small piece of golden cake, and they all savored it slowly as if they had received some rare treasure, oh my, it's so delicious...
—
In the kitchen, Yu Miaoyin poured a ring of oil around the edge of the pot.
She came out of the kitchen wiping her hands. "Little Tangbao, go wash your hands. Dinner will be ready soon."
"Okay." Xiao Tangbao closed the book and obediently went to wash her hands.
The earthenware pot lid was opened, and the freshly steamed claypot rice immediately released steam, sizzling loudly. Slices of marbled Chinese sausage and chunks of brownish-red shiitake mushrooms were laid out on top of the rice, along with golden corn kernels, vibrant green vegetables, and a half-cooked egg nestled in the center.
"Come and eat!" Yu Miaoyin took a clean rag and carried out the two clay pots by their handles.
Xiao Tangbao came out of the kitchen, carrying two bowls, one large and one small.
The aroma of the sauce drizzled on top melted in the steam as it was taken out of the pot, mingling with the salty and savory flavors of the sausage and mushrooms. The casserole was big enough for Xiao Tangbao and Yu Miaoyin to eat together. She used a spoon to scoop out the rice from the bottom and mixed it with the side dishes.
Then she scooped it out for Xiao Tangbao. During the cooking process, a ring of oil was poured along the edge of the clay pot, and the rice at the bottom formed a ring of golden and crispy rice crust. Yu Miaoyin gave all the rice crust to Xiao Tangbao.
"Sister, let's eat together. I'm just a kid, I can't eat this much. You're an adult, you should eat more." Little Tangbao earnestly stated some principles that seemed like the truth.
"Okay," Yu Miaoyin replied with a smile, her heart softening completely.
Little Tangbao scooped up a spoonful of claypot rice and put it in her mouth. The shiitake mushrooms absorbed the meat juices seeping out of the sausage, and the aroma of the mushrooms mixed with the meat flavor. The sweet corn kernels added a unique texture, with a hint of sweetness, and the rice grains were chewy and springy. Taking a bite of the crispy rice crust, the caramelized and savory aroma spread in layers in her mouth, while the unique rich umami flavor of the shiitake mushrooms and the sweetness of the corn kernels lingered throughout.
"It's so delicious! Sister, you're such a good cook!" Xiao Tangbao said earnestly. "The sweet and sour pork ribs are delicious, the egg noodles are delicious, the golden cake is delicious, and this claypot rice is delicious too!"
As Xiao Tangbao spoke, she scooped out another large mouthful and put it into her mouth.
"Your older sister can make you lots and lots of delicious food in the future, are you happy?" Yu Miaoyin asked with a smile.
"I'm so happy." Xiao Tangbao nodded, then added very seriously, "I also feel especially blessed."
—
Yu Miaoyin has been busy with the opening of her small restaurant these past few days. While waiting for the food business license to be issued, she used her meager funds to purchase a batch of new kitchen utensils and pots and pans, and rearranged the layout of the restaurant. Everything is ready except for the license.
Running a food service business has many requirements, and obtaining various permits can take a long time, ranging from a few days to half a month. Fortunately, Yu Miaoyin was lucky. Her materials were complete and went smoothly, all the reviews were passed without incident, and the staff were efficient; the food business license was issued quickly.
The day the business license was hung on the wall, Grandma Chen came to see it. She walked around the small restaurant a few times, looked at the spacious and bright restaurant, and smiled unconsciously, feeling much more at ease.
"What are you planning to do today?" Grandma Chen asked.
"Stir-fried beef rice noodles." Yu Miaoyin went to the market this morning and bought rice noodles from an old lady. The rice noodles had a smooth color and a rich rice aroma.
I also bought the beef that goes with the stir-fried beef noodles; the bloody beef is so fresh.
Yu Miaoyin glanced at the wall clock; the hands had passed four o'clock. She put on her apron. "Grandma, I need to get ready to open the shop."
"Alright, go ahead and get busy. I'll watch the shop and help you out." Grandma smiled kindly, genuinely happy and gratified to see Yu Miaoyin's actions.
She went back to the kitchen, moistened the rice noodles that were stuck together with peanut oil, and then separated them.
Just then, Xiao Tangbao got out of school. After getting off the school bus, she ran into the small restaurant and shouted, "Sister, I'm back!"
Grandma Chen smiled broadly as she watched little Tangbao run towards her.
"Your older sister is about to open her shop. Little Tangbao, why don't you sit with me and wait for your older sister?" Grandma Chen reached out and took Little Tangbao's schoolbag off and put it aside.
Yu Miaoyin came out wearing an apron, holding two tea eggs in her hand.
She placed the tea eggs on the table and said, "Come and try my tea eggs. I'll stir-fry some noodles for you later."
A brown egg, exuding a strong, refreshing aroma of tea, was placed on the table. A crack was made, the shell splitting deeper, and the tea fragrance filled the air.
Little Tangbao slowly peeled the eggshell clean with her hands. In a short while, the whole tea egg was revealed. It was dark and shiny. Little Tangbao picked it up and put it to her mouth.
She bit into the egg white and found that not only was the outside dark, but the inside was also dark, but it tasted so good!
Little Tangbao carefully bit into the egg. After Grandma Chen took a bite, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly that even this ordinary tea egg became exceptionally delicious after being handled by Xiaoyin.
The two were so engrossed in their meal that they didn't hear the bell ring for the end of get out of class at Yuncheng No. 1 Middle School.
Today was Yiling's turn to be on duty, so she had to come out alone. Xu Jiajia stood at the school gate, glanced at the shops outside the school, and began to hesitate.
Although Yuncheng No.1 Middle School is good and is willing to let students go out to find food, the food outside the school is not very good either, and its main feature is that the portions are large and filling.
Suddenly, her gaze fell upon a small shop without a sign. She remembered that this shop used to sell noodles; the noodles were just average, and the broth wasn't very good either. The owner, however, was very kind, gave generous portions, and sold the noodles cheaply, earning him the nickname "the steamed bun of noodle shops" among her classmates.
The shop closed down later, which left the group a little disappointed.
The shop has reopened, and the aroma wafting from it is wonderful! Could it be that the owner went for further studies while the shop was closed?
Xu Jiajia entered the store with curiosity, drawn by the aroma.
"Hello!"
"Hello, sister, are you here to eat?" Little Tangbao jumped off the chair first, pretending to be a waitress as if she were playing house.
Yu Miaoyin noticed the guests and came out of the kitchen with a gentle smile. "Hello, we only have tea eggs and stir-fried beef noodles today. Would you like to try some?"
Has the owner changed?
Xu Jiajia glanced at the menu on the wall, smelled the aroma of tea in the air, and quickly nodded, "Then give me a tea egg, and a plate of stir-fried beef noodles."
Yu Miaoyin hummed in agreement. "Then sit here for a while, I'll make it for you now."
Yu Miaoyin glanced at Xiao Tangbao. She was really well-behaved and sensible. When Xu Jiajia said she wanted a tea egg, she took out a bag and used a slotted spoon to scoop out a tea egg.
She ran up to Xu Jiajia and said, "Here you go, sister. The tea egg you wanted is really delicious!"
"Thank you, little friend."
Tea eggs are 2 yuan, and stir-fried beef noodles are 12 yuan. She scanned the price.
Xu Jiajia picked up the tea egg and tapped it lightly on the table.
The eggshell cracked under pressure, and when peeled open, the net-like pattern of the tea egg was clearly visible, with an enticing color.
The tea eggs were still warm. Xu Jiajia quickly took a bite; the rich tea aroma permeated every bite of the egg white, which was firm. The second bite revealed the yolk. The yolk was still warm, as if it had absorbed all the broth, not dry or choking at all. Its texture was smooth and slightly grainy, with a subtle tea flavor followed by the rich aroma of the yolk.
This was the first time Xu Jiajia had ever eaten a tea egg soaked in braising liquid. Usually, only the egg white of the tea egg had flavor, but this one had flavor in both the egg white and the yolk.
This tea egg is simply the best of all tea eggs, the number one in the world! What incredible thing did Xu Jiajia do yesterday to have the privilege of eating such a delicious tea egg today?!
"Sister, let me do it!" Little Tangbao saw Yu Miaoyin put the stir-fried beef noodles into a plate, so she quickly ran over. She wanted to help her sister and she would do a good job!
Yu Miaoyin hummed in agreement, not wanting to discourage the child at all, but instead praising her earnestly, "Then, little Tangbao, would you like to give it to that older sister? Be careful, okay, don't burn yourself."
Xiao Tangbao nodded, then picked up the plate and walked steadily to Xu Jiajia. "Sister, you should eat your fried noodles while they're hot. If you need anything, come find me again."
Looking at such a well-behaved and adorable child, Xu Jiajia couldn't resist... She restrained herself and gently patted the child's head, as if teasing a cat, "Thank you."
She touched left and right and found a milk candy. Xu Jiajia took it out and poured it into her hand. There were exactly two left. "Here, this is for you. The other one is for your sister."
Little Tangbao was taught from a young age not to accept food from strangers, but she felt that this older sister must not be a bad person, so she happily accepted the candy, saying, "Thank you for the candy, sister."
Then, Xu Jiajia's gaze shifted to the still steaming hot stir-fried beef noodles.
The freshly cooked stir-fried beef noodles are steaming hot, with large slices of tender beef on top, mixed with bright green scallions and tender yellow bean sprouts. The noodles are distinct and not sticky, glistening with oil, and the hot aroma and wok hei (wok's breath) fill the air.
Xu Jiajia got hungry just looking at it...
A note from the author:
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